Dear gardening and nature lovers.

This week I want to share another good news 😄. And that good news comes from my favorite cocoa tree.

In my backyard there is a little cocoa tree and it already has some beautiful fruits 👏. This plant has caught my attention because its flower comes out of the stem, not from the buds as it is common for any plant or tree and the most comical thing is the tiny flower that barely measures a few millimeters. Anyone would not think that such a simple flower would produce such a valuable fruit.

To show the contrast, I capture the flower pointed with my finger so you can notice its tiny size. Doesn't it look cute? 😍

First stage of cocoa flower

And now you will see in the next picture the enormous capacity of fruits it can produce. Wow, this plant really wanted to produce 🤭. I already talked to it to go slowly 😂. Suddenly, it already put me more work, because I have to be aware of grabbing them and then process it to be able to make cocoa paste 🤤. Excellent isn't it?

Showing from smallest to largest

I'm thankful that the sheep that come to visit my yard don't like their leaves too much, otherwise they would have damaged it. Although on a few occasions I have had to howl them to keep them from hurting it, and I am not exaggerating, as some of my plants have been devastated by them😣.

Little experience

The best thing is to produce your own food, I have previously told you that I am not experienced in growing plants, but here I am learning and enjoying every moment I have the opportunity 👍. And due, to my little experience, I have let it grow too much, now I have to wait for its fruits to mature and its harvest to pass to prune it, without a doubt now is not a good time.

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I have been told that pruning should be done in the waning moon, so far this is what a dear friend who grows cocoa has suggested. And back to the beautiful production of my cocoa trees, I have already been able to grab one and another one that is almost ready. Here below you can see it is changing its color, it is leaving its green clothing and starting to turn yellow.

I have learned that there are different species. The difference is the color of the shell and also apparently the size. At least this one that I have already caught is elongated and its color is between yellow and reddish.

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I will open this fruit 👏👏

I will remove the tips and then cut it lengthwise so as not to hurt the seeds, which are the ones I am interested in for now. Then I separate them one from the other, because leaving them to dry, as they are, it will be difficult to separate them later. Now they are ready to sunbathe, although today the day has not been very sunny 🌥️. Many prefer to wash the seeds, but I won't do it, because the secret of their chocolate flavor -when processed-, is in their "mucilage", that's the name given to the white layer that covers them, which in itself is very slimy.

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For now I'll settle for this as a good start in this harvest, because what awaits me to harvest is a real success as you could see in the pictures.

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Friends I say goodbye, hoping you liked my publication 😊, keep doing your work as gardeners even if you do not have experience, that is obtained little by little. A big hug.

Thanks for reading.

Until a next one. 👋

_{Las fotos son de mi propiedad tomadas con mi teléfono Alcatel}